Container closures, and more specifically, tamper-indicating or tamper-evident closures are well known in the art. In a typical arrangement, a threaded container includes a locking ring, or like annular projection extending from the container finish, adjacent to and below the container threaded portion.
Consumers will readily recognize that such closures are used for sealing containers of all types, including juice containers, milk containers and the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such liquids have differing viscosities and may be best packaged in containers having different opening or dispensing sizes. In application, for example, some types of liquid foods may be best packaged in a container that has a relatively small dispensing opening that provides for directed pouring.
A closure which is fitted to the container includes a plastic closure cap having a circular top wall portion and a depending annular skirt portion. The skirt portion has an internal thread configured to threadedly engage the container thread. Tamper indication is provided by a separable band which extends and depends from the skirt portion. The band engages the locking ring and separates from the skirt portion as the closure is removed from the container. The band includes bridge-like connectors which extend between the skirt portion and the band that break as the closure is removed from the container. Exemplary of such a closure is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,972 to Zemlo, which patent is commonly assigned herewith, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Closures can have a wide variety of diameters. Some caps are sufficiently large to grasp to turn the closure to remove it from the container. Others could prove problematic for some individuals. This is particularly true if there is a relatively strong seal between the closure and the container.
In one known tamper-indicating closure, the separable band includes a cam-like projection which extends inwardly from an inner surface of the band. The cam coacts with the locking ring and provides resistance during removal of the closure. As the closure is rotated off the container and the locking ring and cam engage one another, the bridge-like connectors yield and the band separates from the closure skirt portion.
Other known tamper-indicating band configurations include wings or tabs formed as part of the band that are adapted to coact with the container locking ring. Upon commencing removal of the closure from the container, the wings or tabs flex and engage the locking ring. The tabs or wings provide sufficient resistance to overcome the yield strength of the connectors.
Currently known tamper-indicating closure configurations work well to accomplish their intended objective, i.e., to provide visibly discernible evidence of tampering. However, such configurations may prove to be troublesome when initially applying the closure to the container. In particular, it has been observed that one or more of the bridge connectors of tamper-indicating bands of prior art closures may separate from the skirt portion as the closure is applied to the container. In some instances, this can be due to contact between the band and the container threads. Breaking of these connectors during application could thus place an otherwise untampered container in an apparent tampered condition due to unintentional band separation and tamper indication.
Accordingly, there continues to be a need for a closure having an enlarged grasping area and including a tamper-indicating band which facilitates readily engaging the closure with the container without risk of the band separating from the closure upon such initial engagement. Such an arrangement permits use of the closure with a container having a relatively narrow neck portion to provide directed pouring.